Characterization of Trypanosoma cruzi populations by several molecular markers supports a clonal mode of reproduction

ABSTRACT

Chilean T. cruzi populations from different endemic areas and transmission cycles were characterized at several biochemical levels, to mention hybridization with kinetoplast DNA probes, molecular karyotype, isoenzyme studies and kinetoplast DNA restriction fragment length polymorphism. Furthermore, an immunological approach with immune sera from Balb/c infected mice with different T. cruzi populations was used to differentiate among parasite types by the in vitro complement-mediated lysis assay. Parasite grouping by the above described methods allows to classify T. cruzi populations on a very defined number, suggesting that they have a clonal structure